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Restrictions and Rationing on the World War II Home Front

Printed in red, blue, and black. A white male worker in overalls speaks to a white male man behind a desk. The worker asks for more gas. The boss details the low supply of rubber. Text on the bottom: “Swap Rides. Take Care of Your Tires.”
“Swap Rides… Take Care of Your Tires.” Illustrated poster showing details of the US rubber situation and urging drivers to carpool. War Production Board, ca. 1942-1943.
Note: This historic source uses discriminatory language that is now considered offensive among descendants and the community.

Collection of the National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 533936).

Even before the US formally entered World War II, there was a demand for materials to supply the Allies. But there was greater demand on the part of American manufacturers to supply products for civilians. A report examining American preparation for war noted that, in 1941, US factories made more articles for civilian use than ever before. In response, the US government ordered production cuts to strip off some of this “fat.” They targeted items like cars, lawn mowers, juke boxes, “fancy galoshes,” and other items. With these limits imposed, the government estimated that $20 billion in capacity could be used for military production.[1]

After Pearl Harbor and the other home front attacks of December 1941, the US officially joined World War II. Through patriotism and government mandates, war production boomed across the country. With the boom came an enormous demand for raw materials including things like steel, leather, fabrics, wood, aluminum, and rubber. Many items made from these materials -- including metal toys, cutlery, radios, refrigerators, and washing machines – disappeared from the marketplace. Their materials and manufacturing capacity instead went to the war production.[2] March 31, 1942 was the last day that manufacturers could use tin, steel, copper, aluminum, nickel, chrome, or various other materials for non-military goods.[3]

Some items, like coffee, sugar, rubber, and tin were in short supply because of the war itself. Shipments of coffee from Central and South America were cut off, both by enemy submarine attacks and the need for cargo vessels to carry military instead of civilian goods. [4] These factors also affected the availability of sugar, but even more so was the loss of access to the Philippine sugar industry when Japan captured the islands. [5] At about the same time, Japan attacked and occupied several territories in Southeast Asia. This put them (by design) in control of about 70% of the world’s tin supply and 90% of the world’s supply of rubber just as the US entered World War II. [6] While some rubber was available from South America, ships were unavailable to transport it. [7]

A black and white advertisement showing a box of “Ideal Dog Food: The Seven-Course Meal. Victory Type” with the face of a cute dog on it. Around the box it reads, “New package. Saves tin. Easy to carry. Easy to open. Just add liquid.”
Advertisement for dehydrated Victory Type Ideal Dog Food. Note the “V (dot) (dot) (dot) (dash)” incorporates Morse code for the letter V, a common shorthand for “Victory” during the war. 

From Life Magazine, July 6, 1942, p. 82.

Some businesses were able to adapt to these restrictions. For example, canned dog food was not seen as a good use of tin. Without access to cans, several companies switched to dehydrated dog food. It came in a box or cardboard “can,” and was rehydrated with water or milk before serving.[8]

Companies shifted their packaging to jars and boxes; aluminum pots and pans were replaced by enamelware; and toys were made from wood and cardboard by factories and by families at home; and the Girl Scouts sold calendars instead of cookies.[9] Government limits on the use of fabrics for civilians also changed how people dressed. Gone were double-breasted suits, vests, cuffs on pants, patch pockets, pleated skirts, long hemlines, and one-piece bathing suits. [10] Faced with a fabric shortage, people mended their clothing, sewed their own using feed sacks, and knitted. When nylon and silk vanished from the market, women adapted by drawing stocking seams on their legs. These were known as “bottled stockings.” [11]

Even in wartime, however, businesses and civilians still needed access to products like shoes, foods, gasoline, and heating fuel. The ration system helped manage this problem.

Posters Encouraged Different Types of Rationing

A man bends over to oil a lawnmower while a woman sews a patch on the back of his pants. A basket of sewing supplies is on the grass. He wears a red shirt, blue pants, and saddle shoes. She wears a bright yellow dress and brown high-heeled shoes. A man bends over to oil a lawnmower while a woman sews a patch on the back of his pants. A basket of sewing supplies is on the grass. He wears a red shirt, blue pants, and saddle shoes. She wears a bright yellow dress and brown high-heeled shoes.

Left image
“Use it Up – Wear it Out – Make it Do! Our labor and our goods are fighting.” poster encouraging people to use what they have to support the war effort. Office of War Information 1943. 
Credit: Collection of the National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 513834). 

Right image
“Americans! Share The Meat as a wartime necessity.” Poster urging people to voluntarily limit how much meat they buy to between 3/4 pound per week for children under 6 to 2-1/2 pounds per week for people over 12. Office of War Information, 1942.
Credit: Collection of the National Archives and Records Administration (NAID: 513804).

The Office of War Information produced many posters and other materials throughout the war to encourage patriotic behavior including different types of rationing, both enforced and voluntary. 

Black and white photo of white and African American people. A young man in uniform looks over his shoulder; 2 women hold young children. There are separate offices for War Books 1 and 2 and Shoes; Gasoline and Tires; and for Institutions and Restaurants.
Ration offices were not segregated – at least in Louisiana. This line of people in New Orleans are waiting their turn at one of several offices. Photo by John Vachon, Office of War Information, March 1943. New Orleans is an American World War II Heritage City.

Collection of the Library of Congress (https://lccn.loc.gov/2017850484).

Rationing

In World War I and before the US entered World War II, the government asked people to ration voluntarily.[12] This approach was unsuccessful. Instead, people hoarded products and costs rose, and those without money simply went without needed goods.

In January 1942, just a few weeks after the Japanese attacks in the Pacific, the federal government mandated rationing. This limited the availability of certain goods and materials and ensured fair distribution, given the needs of the war. Establishing maximum or ceiling prices for rationed goods also helped to keep inflation in check. Using their nation-wide overview of supply, demand, and the economy, the federal government dictated which items to ration, set ceiling prices, and allocated available supply. Rationing was overseen by the federal Office of Price Administration (OPA) in conjunction with other war offices, including the Wartime Production Board (WPB). It was managed at the local level by volunteer rationing boards. At their local rationing offices, people registered for and received their ration books, and could apply for ration certificates or additional coupons. When the war ended, over 100,000 citizen volunteers were managing the program organized into about 5,600 local boards.[13]

A shield-shaped white plastic pin printed in blue and red. In blue: “OPA [image of a scale] VOLUNTEER.” In red: “WAR PRICE AND RATIONING BOARD.” Collection of the author.
A pin worn by local rationing board volunteers. To save metals for the war, it is made of plastic. A small metal pin is attached to the back to secure it to clothing.

Photo by Megan E. Springate. Collection of the author.

The ration program had four systems:

  1. certificate rationing (for items like tires, cars, and stoves that required applying for a certificate to buy);
  2. differential coupon rationing (for things like gasoline and heating oil that some people needed more than others);
  3. uniform coupon rationing (for things like shoes, sugar, and coffee rationed at fairly stable amounts per person); and
  4. point rationing (for items like meats and canned goods where supply and demand varied greatly).[14]

In each of these four systems, to buy something, shoppers had to produce the right ration coupons, stamps, certificates, or points plus the cost of the item. To control the rate of spending and discourage hoarding, coupons and stamps expired at set times. [15] The OPA added and removed items from the ration list throughout the war. Rationing ended as goods became available. By the end of 1945, the only thing still rationed was sugar. It remained under ration until June 1947. [16]

Despite the best efforts of the government, the volunteer rationing boards, the police, and civilian defense workers, there were many people who found ways to work around the ration system. These included theft, counterfeiting, hoarding, fraud, and organized crime in illicit trade, also called the black market.

Read more about food rationing and rationing of non-food items.

This article was written by Megan E. Springate, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland for the NPS Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education. It was funded by the National Council on Public History’s cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.

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Last updated: November 16, 2023